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Part 107 recurrent training, free: the 2-year renewal path

Quick answer

Do I have to retake the Part 107 test every 2 years?

No. Since a 2021 FAA rule change, a free online course keeps your Part 107 certificate current instead of a retest. Complete ALC-677 (or ALC-515 if you also hold a Part 61 certificate) at FAASafety.gov every 24 calendar months under 14 CFR 107.65. You owe nothing: skip the 175 USD PSI retest entirely.

Last reviewed 2026-07-30 by Part107 Central editorial team

Why this exists: the 2021 rule change

Before 2021, keeping a Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate current meant periodically retaking the paid knowledge test. The FAA's Operations Over People and at Night final rule, effective April 6, 2021, replaced that with a free online recurrent-training alternative. 14 CFR 107.65 (Aeronautical Knowledge Recency) now sets the standing rule: every remote pilot in command must refresh their aeronautical knowledge within 24 calendar months, and completing the free course is one of the two ways to do that, alongside retesting, which almost nobody still chooses once they know the free option exists.

What starts the clock

24 calendar months from the date you passed your initial knowledge test or completed your most recent recurrent training or flight review, whichever is most recent.

In practice: if you passed your initial knowledge test 20 months ago and have never taken a recurrent course, your window closes in 4 months. If you completed recurrent training 10 months ago, the clock reset on that date, and you have about 14 months left. Use the renewal window checker to compute your exact date without doing the math by hand.

The exact free course, by name

  • Most remote pilots: ALC-677, "Part 107 Small UAS Recurrent," free at FAASafety.gov
  • Remote pilots who also hold a Part 61 manned-aircraft certificate: ALC-515, "Part 107 Small UAS Recurrent, Part 61 Pilots," free at FAASafety.gov

Both are hosted on the FAA's own FAASafety.gov platform, the same system that tracks WINGS pilot-proficiency credit for manned-aircraft pilots. About 2 hours total; the exam must be completed within a single 90-minute session

The free renewal path, step by step

  1. Create a free FAASafety.gov account

    If you do not already have one, register at FAASafety.gov with your name and email. No fee, and it is the same account the FAA uses to track your WINGS and recurrent-training history.

  2. Find the right course code

    Free

    ALC-677, "Part 107 Small UAS Recurrent," free at FAASafety.gov. If you also hold a Part 61 manned-aircraft pilot certificate, take ALC-515, "Part 107 Small UAS Recurrent, Part 61 Pilots," free at FAASafety.gov instead: it skips material your Part 61 flight review already covers.

  3. Complete the course and its timed exam

    ~2 hours

    About 2 hours total; the exam must be completed within a single 90-minute session. Work through the modules at your own pace, then pass the graded exam in one sitting within the time limit.

  4. Save your completion certificate

    FAASafety.gov issues a completion certificate immediately. Save or print it as your own record; it also stays in your FAASafety.gov training history, which is what actually satisfies 14 CFR 107.65.

What if my window already closed?

Nothing catastrophic happens on the day your 24-month window ends. Your Remote Pilot Certificate does not expire and the FAA does not revoke it for a missed recurrent window. What changes is that you are no longer current to act as remote pilot in command: legally, you should not fly Part 107 operations again until you complete the course. There is no penalty, no fee, and no waiting period; you can complete ALC-677 the same day you realize you are overdue and be current again within about two hours.

Rule source and changelog

Primary source: 14 CFR 107.65 (Aeronautical Knowledge Recency), current text verified 2026-07-30 via the Cornell Legal Information Institute eCFR mirror.

  • : Recurrent training became a free alternative to retaking the initial knowledge test; both paths satisfy the 24-month recency requirement under 107.65.
  • : 24-month cadence and the two-pathway structure (recurrent training or retest) confirmed against the current text of 14 CFR 107.65 via the Cornell LII eCFR mirror. Course code, title, and duration confirmed live against the FAASafety.gov course catalog the same day (see facts.json ids recurrent-course-name, recurrent-course-part61, recurrent-course-duration).

Check your exact renewal window See waivers & authorizations

Recurrent training and renewal FAQ

Do I have to retake the Part 107 knowledge test every 2 years?
No. Since a 2021 FAA rule change, ALC-677 at FAASafety.gov satisfies the 24-calendar-month recurrent requirement instead of a retest. It is free and takes about 2 hours; nobody has to pay the 175 USD PSI test-center fee again just to stay current.
What exactly starts the 24-month clock?
24 calendar months from the date you passed your initial knowledge test or completed your most recent recurrent training or flight review, whichever is most recent. It is whichever qualifying event happened most recently, not a fixed date tied to when your certificate was issued on paper.
Which course do I take if I also hold a Part 61 pilot certificate?
ALC-515, "Part 107 Small UAS Recurrent, Part 61 Pilots," free at FAASafety.gov, not ALC-677. It is shorter because it does not repeat material your Part 61 flight review already covers, and it is free either way.
What happens if I let my recurrent window close?
Your Remote Pilot Certificate itself does not expire and is never revoked for a missed recurrent window. You simply lose the aeronautical-knowledge recency required to act as remote pilot in command until you complete the free course, with no fee and no waiting period once you do.
Does the free recurrent course replace the initial knowledge test entirely?
Only for renewal. Every remote pilot still passes the paid initial knowledge test once to get certified in the first place. The free recurrent course is the ongoing path that keeps an existing certificate current every 24 months after that, so the retest is never required again.